Beam-To-Column Moment Connections

In the design of a beam-to-column moment connection the principal decisions to be made are simple: the thickness of the end plate, number and size of the bolts, and whether the column needs stiffening. However, the justification of the design is difficult. A correct elastic analysis relies on a proper evaluation of prying forces. But prying forces are unpredictable. The validity of plastic design is limited by a possible lack of joint ductility. It is difficult to develop the full plastic moment capacity of the section at the connection. A practical approach to the design is developed in this paper, and the sequence of design steps is described. Reference is made to tests conducted on this form of connection at Monash University which show the complex nature of the behavior of the connection and illustrate some of the possible failure modes.